Girl on the Wing
by Caliente
Summary: [ON HIATUS] AU after JLA v4 7 including no wedding to Green Arrow –– Dinah finds herself on the newly reformed—for the umpteenth time—Justice League of America. What's a Black Canary to do? Be herself, of course. –– also featuring various Justice League members, the Birds of Prey, Dinah Sr., Sin
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **All right, first things first. This story is a gift!fic for my pal Peter. I'd also like to give special thanks/blame to John for beta-ing it and oldprydefan for doing character check and the naming ritual. In case anyone's curious, Girl on the Wing is a song by The Shins and, as I love naming my stories after songs that fit the characters, here we are. Okay, a few notes about the story itself! The fic is set sometime in the nebulous future in which I assume that the new Justice League of America book actually has the characters form into something of a team. This is basically my attempt at merging Gail's Dinah from Birds of Prey with Meltzer's team. It starts out as internal monologue, then moves to regular narrative form. Oh, and it deals with fallout from BoP #90, Bat-style. (In case you missed the event, you can find it at: http://community(dot)livejournal(dot)com/scans(underscore)daily/1327627(dot)html—replacing parenthesized things with the proper punctuation.) Okay, God, I've rambled enough. Longest note _ever_. One with the show!  
**Disclaimer: **I do not now, nor have I ever, owned any of these characters. They are the sole property of DC comics.

**Girl on the Wing**  
by, Caliente

_So, here I am, part of the vaguely familiar, somewhat new Justice League. Not entirely what I was envisioning when I left Babs and Helena. But I guess I always sort of knew the 'quiet life' wouldn't last. It never does for us hero types._

_Still, a bit more downtime before the restart would've been nice. Sin deserves better. She always has. Kid's stuck with me, though. Through thick and thin. And I promised to be there for her. It's a promise I won't break. I saw what it did to Roy. And Dick._

_And me._

_But enough about that. I get the feeling maybe my sparring partner realizes I'm not paying her the attention she deserves. And if she gets all wild-preserve on my ass, I might be in some trouble. Maybe. Probably not. She could get lucky._

_Besides, if I'm not careful He'll notice. And He's already got his Bat-panties in a twist whenever I come by, anyway. I'd rather not exacerbate an already annoying situation. Oh, who am I kidding? I love watching him squirm. It's all about karma, baby._

_Ow! Okay, Mari, that's it. The gloves are coming off… figuratively only since we're not actually wearing gloves. Ooh, I have an idea. But it could be messy. Batboy will definitely throw a fit. The big S, too. Such a bad idea. Bad, Dinah, bad. Bad…_

* * *

"If you _knew_ it was a bad idea, then _why_ did you do it?" Superman's exasperation definitely outweighed any actual annoyance. Dinah hid a smirk. Poor Clark. Dealing with Roy must really be starting to get to him. She pitied da foo'. But that didn't mean she was going to let him off easily. 

Shrugging innocently at the Man of Steel, Dinah smiled sweetly and opened her mouth. "Never mind," Clark muttered, effectively cutting her off. "I don't want to know." Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he made a hasty retreat for safer territory. Smiling to herself, Dinah decided to do the same. Mari seemed to take the loss in good humor but it was probably better to err on the side of caution, in the event that the other woman found some of the sand in unpleasant places.

Dinah's mind wasn't really on her surroundings as she casually brushed her arms off and rounded a corner. "Canary." The voice made her jump slightly, and she silently berated herself. Knowing him, that'd been his intention and she so hated when he got his way.

"Batman," she responded, raising an eyebrow at the black figure half-skulking in the shadows and crossing her arms across her chest defensively. That gesture never hurt with him.

He nodded toward an empty room. "A word." Dinah raised her other eyebrow, and she could swear she saw his eyes roll behind the mask. "_Please_." Not the friendliest or warmest tone but still, sadly, an improvement.

Sighing, she shook her head at him. "Look, if this is about the gym, I already heard it from Big Blue. So, if you don't mind, I—"

"It's not." His voice was low. Gravelly. Then he perked up slightly (if it was possible for the Batman to perk, that was), his interest obviously piqued. "What happened in the gym?"

Dinah smiled winningly at him. "Nothing, nothing." She moved briskly into the room and turned to face the Dark Knight. "I believe you had something you wanted to say."

The suspicious look he was giving her was nothing unfamiliar to Dinah, so she simply continued to smile at him as she waited patiently. Finally, he seemed to acquiesce. "Fine." He shifted slightly and she suddenly had the feeling that, whatever it was he wanted to discuss, he didn't actually want to discuss very much. "Black Canary—Dinah—I know you know that I… I respect you very much. As a colleague. And, I… I just—"

It was about at this moment that Dinah got the distinct impression he was giving her 'the talk'. She could see this was very hard for him. It would be wrong of her to make it worse. Perfect. "Batman…" her voice dropped, "…Bruce… are you… are you breaking up with me?" He looked like he'd swallowed a frog and Dinah couldn't hold it in any longer. A smile broke out on her face as her serious demeanor dissolved into laughter.

"Canary." The Bat was back, complete with the scary growl. "This is _not_ a joke."

Dinah wiped away a tear. "Oh, lighten up Br—_Bat_man." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You used to know how to do that." Another small laugh escaped her lips. "Oh, sorry, that was Superman."

He ground his teeth at her. "Look. I respect your abilities," she opened her mouth to interrupt but he hastily continued, "_however_, I have some reservations about your… attitude."

Blinking at him for a moment, she tried to reconcile that statement. Her attitude? _Her_ attitude? This from the pompous, anti-social bastardly Bat? How _dare_ he? "I don't know what you're talking about," she bristled, jovial disposition all but forgotten.

"You're careless." Dinah glared. "Irresponsible." She made a noise of objection and he held up his hand. "All I want from you is the assurance that you'll act in a… _professional_ manner."

Something in the way that he said it stopped her from giving him the ass kicking he deserved. A professional manner. Suddenly it dawned on her: he wasn't worried because he couldn't trust her. He… oh, this was too rich. Her annoyance gave way to amusement and she shook her head. Poor Bruce. The man just did not deal well with women. She smirked at him. Poor Bruce, indeed. "And here I'd thought you'd forgotten."

Bruce set his jaw. "Canary." His tone was warning but the lines around his mouth gave him away. He was worried.

"Bruce, what happened between us…" she trailed off, smiling faintly at the memory. He really had been a surprisingly good kisser. "You earned it." And that was the truth. "But sometimes a kiss is just a kiss. So stop hyper-analyzing or whatever it is you do all night in that dank cave of yours. It won't happen again." The smirk returned. "Unless you earn another." Then she winked at him and made a quick exit, leaving the Bat and his issues behind.

::You're a bad person,:: the voice in her ear taunted, obviously trying to suppress her laughter. ::Very naughty.::

"Figures you'd be listening," Dinah responded as she picked up the pace. She wanted to get home and hang out with Sin before the girl went to bed. "I should've known better than to trust you with baby-sitting duties."

::Hey!:: Helena sounded offended. ::I just sent your girl to get cleaned up and was just checking to see where you were when I heard His voice. Can you blame a girl for being curious?:: Dinah rolled her eyes. ::Did you really mean it, though? I thought it was a one-time sort of thing…::

Dinah sighed and rolled her eyes again. So nosy. All of them. "I'll be home soon," was all she offered by way of a response before signing off. Mostly because it was all she had. Another case of speaking without thinking, and one she wasn't particularly inclined to figure out. Let the Bat worry about all that. It suited his lonely recluse lifestyle. She had better things to do. Whatever happened, happened. Whatever was meant to be would be. And that was good enough for her. For now, anyway.

* * *

And that was all she wrote! (For now, anyway.) Reviews, as always, are much appreciated. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Okay, we are officially into AU territory. For one thing, I decided to include Dinah's mom, who is deceased in current continuity. Also, as I loathe me some Green Arrow/Black Canary, there is no proposal. No wedding. Nada. Thanks to my beta for all his help… slash pestering. And that's about it! Here she be.  
**Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.

**Girl on the Wing**  
by, Caliente

**Chapter 2**

_When I took over my mother's flower shop, I have to admit I was a little annoyed. Not because I don't like flowers—I do. I'd just grown up in that place. It was her thing. And there I was, following in her footsteps yet again._

_I did that a lot, considering how much grief I gave her._

_I guess if I wanted to be honest about it, I'd admit that I thought I could be better. Do better. And that was the easiest way to prove it._

_Not that my mother was so keen on letting go. Or letting me follow her._

_In retrospect, I could have picked a nicer way to lay it on her. Telling her that it was too late to start being a mother—that she ought not bother now that I could take care of myself—I'm sure it hurt. But I was headstrong. Convinced I knew everything._

_I thought she had nothing left to teach me._

_I'm not too proud to admit I was wrong, though. Well… maybe I am. But not that time. She was wrong, too. About a lot of things. We both made a lot of mistakes. But I'm glad she's here now. I'm glad she's willing to help. I just wish I didn't want to strangle her…_

* * *

"_Enough_, mother!" Dinah Laurel Lance threw up her hands and tried very hard not to unleash her Canary Cry. It was tempting—_really _tempting—but it wasn't the kind of example she wanted to set for Sin. Taking a deep breath, she silently counted to ten. "I appreciate that you want to help. I do. But if your help includes lectures, I'll just keep using Roy's nanny."

Dinah Drake Lance frowned at her daughter. "Dinah, I was only—"

"I know what you were _only trying to do_," the younger Canary ground out, clenching and unclenching her fists behind the counter. "But this is my store and that is my daughter, and _I'm_ not _you_." Her mother blinked at her for a moment, a stunned look on her face, and Dinah recoiled in horror. "Oh, Mom, I didn't—"

There were tears in her eyes as she shook her head. "No, it's all right. You're right. You're not me." She crossed to Dinah and pulled her into a gentle hug. "You're the Chairman of the Justice League of America, honey. You've done things I never dreamed of doing." There were tears in Dinah's eyes now, too. "And I couldn't be prouder."

Dinah blushed, hugging her mother back. "Thanks, Mom."

"And I didn't mean to push," Dinah, Sr. continued. "I just wanted you to be aware—it's harder than you think. You want to be there, but you feel your responsibilities pulling you away." She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "I never want you to have to choose between your family and your responsibilities. Feeling the weight of your choices, Dinah… it's so hard."

Giving her mom one last squeeze, Dinah pulled back and rummaged beneath the counter for some tissues. "I know, Mom. I know." She glanced at Sin, who was watching them with wide, curious eyes and smiled. "But I know who I'd choose every time." Her mother was poised to respond when Dinah let out a sudden, "Ah-ha!" upon finding the tissues. She offered them to her mother before taking one for herself and dabbing her eyes quickly.

Dinah, Sr. chuckled as she wiped her own eyes. She turned to Sin, who now looked positively confused, and smiled as she offered the girl her hand. "C'mon, kiddo, we've got places to go and things to see." Sin hopped up but hesitated to take the hand. Dinah smiled encouragingly and she complied.

"Now, behave for Grandma Canary!" Dinah called after the pair with an enthusiastic wave.

She heard her mother groan. "Grandma, Lord…" she grumbled as she exited the flower shop, shaking her head. Dinah laughed aloud, dusting her hands before setting to work. She put away the tissues and pulled out her bookkeeping. It wasn't a fun task but it sure as hell beat computers, no matter what Oracle said.

A couple of hours, a dozen sales, and too many other numbers to remember later, Dinah was questioning the wisdom of reopening her own business. It'd made sense at the time—she needed income and this was a good way to get it—but her dark haired wig was itchy, figures were swimming before her eyes, and she was pretty sure somewhere along the way she'd sacrificed her sanity. Since she hadn't been blessed with an abundance to start, this was a bit of a problem.

Luckily, a familiar jingle alerted her to the arrival of a new customer. Without looking up, Dinah sighed with relief and put her pencil down. Saved by the bell! "For rescuing me from bookkeeping, I love you forever," she informed the newcomer as she finally looked up. The customer froze in the middle of unwrapping his scarf. She thought he seemed vaguely familiar but it was hard to tell with so much of his face obscured. Either way, she didn't want to scare the guy off. He might buy something. And he might be cute. (He was dressed nicely, at least.) "Kidding," she assured him with a smile.

He cleared his throat and nodded, finally removing his scarf entirely. "I figured," he informed her dryly. Face now visible, Dinah blinked in surprise and recognition. "It was the hair that threw me. I thought you were a bottle blonde these days."

Casting her eyes upwards, Dinah stood up from her stool and put her hands on her hips. "Disappointed that you don't really know everything, Mr. Wayne?" she questioned with a smirk. "Well, I am. I just thought—with Sin and everything… it's too late to start wearing a mask now." She raised an eyebrow, daring him to argue. "It's easier this way."

"And safer for her," he added in easy agreement.

Dinah was so startled that her hands fell away from her hips. She regained her bearings quickly, though, smirking again at the supposed playboy. "Oh, I'm not worried about her. It's what she'd do to anyone who tried to hurt her I'm concerned about." Her expression sobered. "She's still young. I don't want… I want her to be able to choose."

Something flashed across Bruce's face before he nodded. She thought he might say something but silence reigned supreme. Dinah decided to take it upon herself to remedy that situation. "So, was there a reason for this visit or do you usually frequent florist shops in your free time?"

Shooting her a withering look, he frowned. "No. I…" He thought better of what he'd been about to say, apparently, and changed gears. "The daughter of one of the board members at Wayne Industries was hospitalized. He's… a good man. I wanted to offer my sympathies."

"In other words, Alfred made you," she teased with a smile as she came out from behind the register area and headed toward some of her arranged flowers. "Were you thinking of a bouquet or did you want a potted plant?" A glance over her shoulder showed that he wasn't following her. "Uh, earth to Bruce?" She waved at him, eyebrows furrowed.

He looked up, the ever-present frown in place. This time it seemed less directed at her, however, and more toward the situation at hand. "I didn't realize you'd moved back to Gotham," he said in a low tone. "Or reopened your flower shop."

Now Dinah was frowning, too. "If you're worried about me fighting crime in _your_ city, Bruce, don't bother. It's JLA or bust for me, these days." She narrowed her eyes at him accusingly. "But Gotham isn't only your home. I grew up here, too. My mom still lives here. I'm comfortable here. It seemed like the right kind of change for us." Her tone was brisk and her eyes determined, ready in the likely event he challenged her.

He didn't. Bruce merely nodded again. Then he did something Dinah never expected: his mouth quirked into what he might consider a smile. "I should've known Diana Laurel was really Dinah Laurel Lance. I would've expected Oracle to teach you better than that."

Dinah was smiling, too. "She did. Even offered to set me up, since she's well aware that I'm complete crap at all computer stuff. But I didn't want to confuse Sin. Besides," she shrugged, "we're ready if anything does happen."

"I know." Bruce was standing next to her now, a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked down at her. "Potted plant."

Laughing, Dinah shook her head. The man was seriously deficient with people skills. So abrupt. But she could take it. "Right this way, Mr. Wayne…"

* * *

"…and then he bought a plant and left," Dinah finished, smirking. "I swear to you, though, Babs, he was smiling. I saw it. An honest to God smile." 

Dinah was pretty sure she could hear Barbara rolling her eyes. "He does do that, you know." The sarcasm was evident in her voice, even over the phone. "Especially as Bruce Wayne."

It was Dinah's turn to roll her eyes. "You Bat-people. He _is_ Bruce Wayne. They aren't two people. Bruce Wayne is the Bat, and the Bat is Bruce Wayne. I don't know why everyone in the family encourages him. At this rate, there really _will_ be two personalities running around in that addled brain of his."

"The family?" There was a sort of incredulous sound to the word, like she couldn't quite believe Dinah had used it.

Dinah just figured Barbara wasn't entirely sure whether she was flattered or angry. Better to cut her off at the pass. "Well, I didn't say it was a functional one, did I?"

The teasing was enough to get the big bad Oracle off her back. "You're one to talk." Dinah laughed, propping her legs up on the counter. "So, he really didn't know you were back in Gotham? Wow… that's so unlike him. He's usually got his hand in everything."

Tapping her chin lightly, Dinah flopped back on her couch. "Yeah, I know. It was almost like he wasn't looking on purpose."

"What do you mean?" Babs asked, tone implying she wasn't following Dinah's logic (or lack thereof).

Dinah smiled thoughtfully. "I'm not sure yet. But I intend to find out."

* * *

If there's anyone out there, I certainly wouldn't mind a review… or two… hello…? 


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